General Film Company

E60065

General Film Company was a dominant early 20th-century American film distribution company that held a near-monopoly on movie distribution under the Edison-led Motion Picture Patents Company trust.


Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf American company
film distribution company
alsoKnownAs General Film Co.
associatedOrganization American Star Film Company
Biograph Company
Edison Manufacturing Company
Essanay Film Manufacturing Company
George Kleine
Kalem Company
Lubin Manufacturing Company
Pathé Frères
Selig Polyscope Company
Vitagraph Company of America
associatedWith Thomas Edison
businessModel film distribution trust
businessPractice standardized film rental terms for exhibitors
businessStrategy exclusive licensing of films to selected exhibitors
competitionWith independent film producers and distributors
country United States
distributionMethod rental of film prints to exhibitors
distributionScope nationwide distribution in the United States
foundedBy Motion Picture Patents Company
historicalEra silent film era
historicalSignificance key player in early American film monopoly practices
impactOnExhibitors restricted access to non-licensed films
impactOnMarket consolidation of film exchanges
industry film distribution
motion picture industry
influenced development of independent film distribution in the United States
legalClassification film trust
marketPosition dominant distributor for MPPC-licensed films
monopolyStatus near-monopoly on film distribution in the United States
notableFor attempt to control film distribution through licensing
central role in the Edison-led Motion Picture Patents Company trust
operationalFocus distribution of licensed films from MPPC member companies
partOf Motion Picture Patents Company
reasonForDecline antitrust rulings against MPPC and its distribution practices
regulatoryBodyInvolved United States federal courts
regulatoryOutcome subject to U.S. antitrust action
relatedConcept Edison Trust
Motion Picture Patents Company trust
antitrust law in the United States
film monopoly
roleInIndustry dominant early 20th-century American film distributor
status defunct company
timePeriod early 20th century


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